Dr. Cruzado will be on campus February 3 and 4 to visit with students, faculty, staff, and the community. As part of her visit, she will be touring the campus on February 3 and visiting with many departments. In addition, there will be a lunch with students, a campus townhall meeting, and an MSU Alumni event. Below is a more detailed list of events. If you have any questions, please contact Pam Parsons or Heather Palermo.

February 3, 2010
7:30 AM - Breakfast with Dean's Advisory Council & Foundation Board
G45/46
 
9:00 AM - Campus Journey (Tour)
9:00 - 9:20 AM - Visit Outreach & College Relations and the COTtage Bookstore
9:30 - 10:30 AM - Visit with the Arts & Sciences Division
10:30 - 10:50 AM - Tour Weaver Library & Distance Learning
11:00 - 12:00 PM - Visit with the Health Sciences Division (Dental Area)
 
12:00 - 1:00 PM - Lunch with Students (Open to all students)
G45/46
 
1:30 PM - The Journey Continues
1:30 - 2:00 PM - Visit with the Business Office, IT, Maintenance, Print Shop, Cafeteria
2:00 - 3:00 PM - Visit with Student Services/Learning Center ABLE (Student Central)
3:00 - 4:00 PM - Visit with Business, Technology & Trades Division (Trades Building)
 
4:00 - 5:00 PM - Campus Town Hall/Open Forum
B101
 
5:30 - 7:00 PM - MSU - Bozeman Alumni Event
Atrium

February 4, 2010
7:30 - 9:00 AM - MSU Foundation Breakfast
College of Nursing Ground Floor -Room #102 (400 15th Ave So, Ste 106)
 
9:00 - 9:45 AM -- Meeting with MSU Bozeman Nursing
College of Nursing

10:00 - 11:45 AM - Meeting with Tribune Editorial Board
Tribune Offices
 
12:00 - 1:00 PM - Lunch with Legislators, Congressional Staff, and City/County Officials
Tap House Grill
 
1:30 - 4:00 PM - Community Listening Session
Heritage Hall
 
4:00 - 4:25 PM - Meeting with MSU Northern Great Falls Personnel
G107

On Wednesday, February 3 the College is hosting our annual Healthcare Career Day. From 9:30 am - 3:20 pm, the Atrium will be buzzing with around 300 students from the Great Falls and surrounding area high schools. The purpose of this day is two-fold: to expose students to a variety of healthcare professions, so they realize there are options beyond nurses and physicians; and to expose students to the importance of taking math and science classes in high school if they are interested in a healthcare career. Some of the College's community partners include: Benefis, Spectrum, the PEAK, Centene, Gateway Recovery Center, the Red Cross, the Great Falls School District and the U.S. Army and Air Force recruiters. Healthcare Career Day campus committee members include: Jodi Howard, Natalie Nefzger, Lanni Klasner, Brad Bechard, Greg Paulauskis, and Susan Cooper. For more information, please visit: http://www.msugf.edu/about/CollegeRelations/News_Details.php?Healthcare-Career-Day-88

Rick and Susie Graetz, UM, will present the "Crown of the Continent" at the U to You on Thursday February 4 at 7:00 pm in Heritage Hall. Rick is a professor in UM's Department of Geography. He developed the Crown of the Continent Initiative showcasing the stunning "Backbone of the World" that spans the Continental Divide from Canada to Montana. He is the founder of Montana Magazine. His co-presenter, Susie, is a visiting scholar and editor in UM's International Program. Together, the couple has authored 18 Montana books and numerous titles on other countries and regions of the United States.

I would like to personally invite you to a special presentation on exploring intercultural relations on Tuesday, February 2 in Room B135 at 4:00 pm. Courtney Johnsrud, Dana Freshly, Natalie Nefzger and I attended a keynote presentation by Chris Cartwright on this topic at the Summer Montana Post Secondary Educational Opportunities Council (MPSEOC) conference. During his session, he explained how intercultural relations encompasses so much more than race and gender. He also shared that self-awareness is key component to understand diversity. The Great Falls Advertising Federation is flying Chris into Great Falls so he can speak to their club, but he scheduled to arrived a day early so he can also present on our campus. I hope you will take advantage of this rare opportunity and attend this session with me.
 
"The work of serving diverse people is grounded in curiosity; first a curiosity about ourselves; and from the resulting self-knowledge, a curiosity about others and the capacity to engage diverse people effectively," says Chris. "In higher education, you have the privilege of serving a wide variety of people. In order to engage your students, in an increasingly diverse and interconnected world, it is important that you be able to model the capacity to engage in inclusive and respective ways.  This form of engagement is called intercultural capacity and we will explore it together at this presentation." 

The Montana Post Secondary Educational Opportunities Council (MPSEOC) and the Montana Tribal Colleges will host six college and career fairs in Montana beginning Feb. 1, 2010. Students can visit with representatives from in-state and out-of-state colleges and universities, technical and trade schools, military branches, agencies, and career representatives. Although the fairs are geared to college students and high school students, they are open to anyone interested in pursuing post-secondary education and career research. Parents are encouraged to attend as well.  Each fair will have scholarships and door prizes awarded by random drawing from the names of people who attend these tribal college fairs. Visit www.MontanaColleges.com for more information.
Natalie Nefzger will represent MSU Great Falls at the following college and career fairs:
Monday, Feb., 8, 2010:  Stone Child College, Box Elder    
Tuesday, Feb., 9, 2010:  Blackfeet Community College, Browning

 

The Dental Assistant program students will once again be working throughout the month of February with Vickie Johnson, Oral Health Educator for CCHD, performing Kindergarten Brush-ins at local elementary schools and the public library in conjunction with Children's Dental Health month. Students have created a presentation for that includes a story about the importance of proper oral hygiene and eating right along with a brushing & flossing demonstration. 

Mrs. Johnson and the students will spend Story Hour (10:30-11:30) at the GF Public  Library on Wednesday, February 10 and we have heard that Dudley the Dinosaur is planning to make a visit that day as well!

On February 6 from 9:15 am - 12:00 pm the National Association of Women in Construction and the Girl Scouts will be on campus to judge the "Block Kids" event. MSU - Great Falls is proud to be a sponsor of the event.

Yesterday, January 31, we held College Goal Sunday at our campus. This event is designed for returning college students, and those who will be new in the fall, to get assistance with their FAFSA application in order to meet the priority filing deadline. We had 96 FAFSA filers this year, up from only 56 last year. We had 177 total people come through the doors, which includes family members of those filing.  13 volunteers helped with College Goal Sunday in capacities ranging from usher to FAFSA question helper. We could not have done it without them!
 
Our office will also be holding FAFSA Fridays in February. On each Friday of the month from 10:00 - 11:00 in B124. Any person wishing to have help with filing the FAFSA is welcome to attend. They would need to bring 2009 tax information, W-2's and have their federal PIN available to sign electronically. For any questions regarding these Friday sessions, please call 771-4334.

Let the students know about this great raffle. For every $10.00 you spend on backpacks and clothing items, you will receive a raffle ticket for a chance to win a HP notebook computer. Offer runs from January 25 through February 15. MSU - Great Falls students only and EMT polos are excluded.